Question about antibodies in colostrum / breastmilk

[eeyore2]

Hello, I am pregnant with my first baby and looking forward to trying my hand at breast-feeding -and hoping it will all go smoothly!

I have one question and it is about the antibodies in colostrum and breastmilk. As you may know, antibodies are complex proteins. I studied Pharmacology at college and was taught that when proteins are given to be people as drugs or supplements, they can never be given orally, because they are broken down in the digestive system. If you want to get an protein intact into the bloodstream, you have to inject it.

So, my question is - how do the antibodies in colostrum get passed intact to the baby and help build up the baby's immunity, when the baby is receiving them orally? Maybe babies have less developed digestion, but this is just a guess.

I would be really interested to know how this works - I hope one of you wise ladies can answer my question! Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

A baby's digestive system is more permeable, allowing more complex proteins to enter the bloodstream. Afaik.

eeyore, I am not a scientist of any sort, but colostrum and human milk and the antibodies therein are not 'drugs' or 'supplements'; they are part of the normal, physiologically-appropriate diet of an infant human.

higher pH of the infant stomach make a difference perhaps?

Interesting question, one that I'm sure human evolution has spent thousands of years working out.

Good question, I thought I had read about the babies intestines being more permeable, but also colostrum lining the gut, therefore making it less permeable to bugs etc. Dunno, I'm sure someone will know.

don't know the answer to your question, but I have read that infants guts are 'leaky' to allow stuff in the breastmilk to be easily absorbed.
This is why solids aren't recommended under 6 months.

Ahhh, as always, Kellymom can help!
www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

On there it says:
From birth until somewhere between four and six months of age, babies possess what is often referred to as an "open gut." This means that the spaces between the cells of the small intestines will readily allow intact macromolecules, including whole proteins and pathogens, to pass directly into the bloodstream.This is great for your breastfed baby as it allows beneficial antibodies in breastmilk to pass more directly into baby's bloodstream.....

Thank you everyone, that's really interesting. And tiktok - don't worry, I defintely don't think the antibodies in breastmilk are drugs. I was just relating my area of knowledge to what I have read about the benefits of breastfeeding. Lots of important drugs are actually antibodies (like Herceptin, for breast cancer) and you have to inject them to stop them being digested. But luckily it seems babies are able to benefit from the antibodies in breastmilk just by eating them, lucky them!

eeyore, sorry, I knew you didn;t think they were drugs What I meant was that the physiologically normal diet of a baby will act on the baby in a different way compared with anything introduced that's not part of the diet.

Thanks tiktok, and another good and interesting point. It's been so interesting reading up on breastfeeding - I had no idea, for example, that breast milk also contains white blood cells that help with immunity as well. I just found this interesting article here. It makes me even more determined to give it a really good go, although a bit nervous as I have a very opinionated anti-breastfeeding mother who I know will be really difficult about it...

What has your mum said, eeyore?

oh, just lots of stuff about how it is so sad that Dads can't get involved in feeding if you breastfeed, tutting whenever she hears about someone keeping going with breasfeeding if there are any weight gain issues, and loads of comments about 'it never did you any harm' and 'I don't understand what all the fuss is about, just give the baby a bottle', etc etc. I think she will be positive about it as long as it goes well, but unsupportive if there is even a hint of difficulty. From reading the threads on here it seems like lots of ladies have to deal with this and just grit their teeth and get on with it, hopefully I will be able to do this.